For Christmas this year we gave the kids a trip to Disneyland. The time finally came to head out to California. Sadie woke up early and got the kids up and ready to go. I got up and packed the car. Rob got up and made sure the house was ready for us to be gone for a week. By 6 am we were in the car headed toward the freeway. We were going to be in California by 3 pm!
We got onto the freeway and the car started shaking really bad. Rob insisted that it was just the road, but I knew it wasn't. He got off and we drove around for a while. We were trying to come up with a plan. I called a few car rental places and they didn't have a van and the rest of the places didn't open for a few hours. There were some tears and angry feelings. We just wanted to be on the road. But looking back I'm glad the car started having problems right away or else we might have gotten stranded in the middle of nowhere. (tender mercy) After a while we were able to find a mini van and we went home and made the switcharoo and were finally back on the road to California. Nothing could keep us from getting there!
I took two pictures because I cut Rob's head off in the first one. Then I did it again in the second one. Ha ha!
My kids are excellent travelers. We made it all the way to St. George with no stops.
The whole way there I made friendship bracelets. I made a mickey mouse colored one, but the black thread broke twice in the middle of the bracelet. So it didn't make it to my wrist.
You can't see her in the picture, but Finley is off to the right wide awake singing her lungs out. I'm pretty sure she's the only one that didn't sleep a wink on the way there! The other kids were tired from the early morning.
We finally made it to the house we were staying at with my parents and my brother and his family. We got the kids situated in their beds. Zac slept on a cot in a closet. :) Then the next morning we woke up bright and early to get to Disneyland! We had to get up and ready to leave the house by 6:45 or so. So it was pretty early.
Finley started off walking...when we got to the crowded park it was easier to keep her in the stroller until we made it to the first ride.
Beauty and the Beast made out of Legos.
After rope drop we went on lots of the little kid rides. We started with Peter Pan and then hit Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and then Dumbo. We got separated a bit, the older kids were with my brother's family but they got to ride a few more rides than us because we had to navigate the stroller.
So we rode the rides with Emery, Riley and Finley. So fun.
Uncle Scott and Cade on Dumbo.
We finally caught up with Sadie. She hung out with us for a while. I think we got our first churros of the trip.
We rode Space Mountain. Finley was sitting next to me. Riley and Emery were in front of me with Grandma and Grandpa in the front. Rob is in the very back with his hands up. Riley didn't really like that ride. She didn't want to do it again. :)
They told us on one of the rides that if we didn't wear our mask correctly they we wouldn't be able to see our picture. Well...I guess this one slipped through the cracks. ha ha.
I think this was the Dumbo ride. Finley was at the controls. She mostly liked staying down low.
Waiting for It's a Small World. I was so glad we wore our bright yellow matching shirts this first day. It was so easy to spot the kids in the crowds.
It's always such a relief to get on this ride because the line is right in the sun. So it's nice relief to sit on a boat and go through the air conditioned ride.
Star Tours. I think I rode this ride the most out of all the rides. Whenever we saw that the line was only 15 minutes, we would run over. I saw so many different versions. It was fun every time. Especially the first time when Sadie was the Rebel and it showed her picture.
Checking out the Genie and some of the princesses.
Toon Town. We were separated from the group at this point, so this was the only picture I got.
Our whole group fit on one of the boats for it's a small world. At least I think that's what ride this is. I can't remember.
I think this was Riley's favorite ride. Big Thunder Mountain. We would run over and ride this one whenever the line was short too.
Lots of waiting. And me stressing about the kids losing their masks and then not being able to ride a ride. Ha ha. The did a good job keeping track of them. We didn't even lose one! I'm sure they were filthy by the end of the trip though.
Whinnie the Pooh ride.
Trying to find relief from the sun. It got to like 90 degrees.
I don't remember what ride this was.
Finley and Riley chose some lolipops to spend part of their gift cards on.
We are more focused on riding rides while we are at Disneyland. So our pictures turn out like this. ha ha!
Riley's sucker kept her busy in the lines.
I think this is Big Thunder Mountain again.
This is one of the Star Wars rides. It was pretty fun. We did it multiple times in a row because the line was short.
THis was Zac the first time on Space Mountain. He looked a bit scared.
Rob took Finley home early on the first day. I she was so tired and so was he. :) It worked out great because he cooked the lasagna for us for dinner so it was ready when we got home.
We got home from our first day and the kids got in jammies while we waited for dinner. This is what Riley did. :)
